THE ROLE OF ENGINEERS IN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPEMNT

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Sustainable development is the challenge of meeting human needs for natural resources,
industrial products, energy, food, transportation, shelter, and effective waste management
while conserving and protecting environmental quality and the natural resource base
essential for future development. It is a means of improving and maintaining the well
being of the people and the ecosystems. It entails integrating economic, social and
environmental objectives making choices among them where integration is not possible.
ROLE OF ENGINEERS
How does engineers maintain sustainable development?

The engineer must understand environmental issues and its impact. He must also
understand key global change issues.
Global Environmental Issues

Climate Change.
Ozone Depletion.
Biological Diversity.
Natural Resources.
Water Resources.
The engineer must understand the effects of his projects on the environment.

New Factors in Engineering Practice

Sustainable development.
Environmental impacts.
Energy conservation.
Minimizing life cycle costs.
Optimizing structural design.
Emphasize repair and rehabilitation.
Emphasize performance-based design.
Reduce cost of construction, repair and rehabilitation.
The engineer should take decisions to promote sustainable development.

The engineers must understand and advocate environmental sustaining strategies.

The implementations are aided by environmental guidelines such as ISO 14000. The
systematic approach leads to reduce cost of waste management, savings in

consumption of energy and materials, lower distribution cost and a framework for
continuous improvement.
Benefits of ISO 14000 Certification
A Marketing Tool.
Save Company Money.
Reduce Risk of Potential Liability.
Less Risk of Environmental Damage.
Improve Motivation within the Staff.
Improve Public Image.

The engineer promotes environmentally sound technologies. Environmentally

Sound Technologies (EST) protect the environment, are less polluting, use all
resources in a more sustainable manners than the technologies for which they were
substitutes.
Conservation Based Development
Conserve life support systems.
Conserve biological diversity and variety of ecosystems.
Ensure sustainable uses of renewal resources.
Minimize depletion of non-renewable.
Keep within the Earths carrying capacity.

The engineer is an advocate of relevant engineering education to evolve rapidly

and to prepare the next generation of practitioners to cope adequately with changes
overtaking the profession. He should have new ways of thinking, of analysis and
processes to use knowledge in ways and decisions to support sustainable
development.
Building for the Future
The following are the responsibilities of engineers in building the future.
To make others understand the importance of sustainable development.
To define success in overall communal quality of life.
To develop and nurture values based on respect and care for others and the Earth.

The engineer should share experiences, improve communication skills, participate

in communication for a, join professional societies, strengthen competencies through
experiences. He should provide leadership in consolidating the knowledge and
experiences to support sustainable development.

The engineer shall strengthen competencies in information technology.

Information Technology applications in civil engineering result in better, cheaper and

faster engineering services. Success demands to find and maintain a set of integrated
computer tools that works.

The engineer shall provide expert skills. He must develop skills in the integration
of human and ecological concerns in projects. He must be an advocate of teamwork
to provide the needed skills.